Centre Pompidou – France's Museum of Modern Art

It's Europe's largest museum of modern art. In 1977 Centre Pompidou Paris opened its doors. Since then it has become one of the top attractions in Paris, with more than seven million visitors a year, about as many as the Eiffel Tower! It's one of the busiest museums in Europe.

The Pompidou Center is the place to see the works of David Hockney, Picasso, Klee, Philippe Starck, Andy Warhol and other great modern artists and designers. You'll also see hundreds of intriguing works by artists you've probably never even heard of. In busy Place Georges Pompidou just outside the museum you'll find street artists, mimes, jugglers, budding artists and musicians. Don't miss the famous Stravinsky Fountain, a whimsical water-spraying sculpture inspired by the musical works of Igor Stravinksy, next to all the outdoor cafés.

George Pompidou & His Centre

The Pompidou Center was the brainchild of French President George Pompidou who envisioned a modern arts and cultural museum in the center of Paris.

Its unusual design with the radical "plumbing on the outside" was controversial when it first opened in 1977. Also controversial was the decision to raze blocks of buildings in the historic heart of the Marais to make room for the museum.

Once opened, though, most of the modern art treasures of France were moved to the museum. Today Centre Pompidou holds over 60,000 works by surrealists, cubists, pop artists and other artists of the 20th and 21st centuries.

The museum's construction and design controversies didn't end with its opening. After only thirty years the building was suffering from mechanical and design flaws and, in the late 1990s it was closed for major renovation work. Don't worry, it's now healthy and open!

Centre Pompidou Fun Facts

• Over 1,100,000 square feet in size
• Cost almost one billion French francs to build
• Open from 11 am to 9 pm
• Late Night: Thursday until 9:45 pm
• Closed Tuesdays, December 25, January 1 and May 1
• Metro: Les Halles, Rambuteau, Hôtel de Ville
• Museum Website…
• Free admission to the Centre Pompidou Paris is included with the Paris Museum Pass…